Infinite System Inheritor Return From The Abyss-Chapter 339 - 337: River Monster

They annihilated the boars without effort and now They marched along the forest trail until they reached the edge of a wide, fast-flowing river. Large stones jutted out from the water's surface, forming a sort of uneven path to the other side. The water rushed loudly, crashing against the rocks and sending sprays of mist into the air.

One by one, the members started hopping across the stones, careful not to slip. Some leaped gracefully, while others wobbled a bit, catching their balance.

When it was finally his turn, Seojun stepped forward calmly. Go Si-eun, the healer, was right behind him, followed by Fumiko and a few other members. They moved in a line, the stones wobbling slightly under their weight.

Fumiko, who was at the back, watched them closely. "Keep your eyes on the water," she warned.

Just as she said that, the water started bubbling. It began softly, then grew more violent. The surface of the river rippled unnaturally, and the air grew heavy.

[System Notification: C-Rank Monster Detected — River Lurker]

From beneath the surface, a massive creature emerged. Its body was long and snake-like, covered in thick, slimy scales that shimmered with a sickly green color. Large fins ran along its back, and its head was wide with rows of sharp teeth snapping hungrily. Tentacle-like appendages sprouted from its sides, thrashing in the water.

The healer gasped, nearly losing her balance. "W-What is that?!"

Fumiko's eyes narrowed. "A River Lurker... Damn it, I knew this place felt off."

The monster lunged, its body slithering with surprising speed through the water. Its tentacles lashed out, grabbing at the stones they stood on.

"Jump back!" Fumiko shouted.

The tentacle smashing into the stone where they stood, Go Si-eun began chanting softly, her staff glowing. "Blessing of Agility!" A light wrapped around Fumiko and the other members, boosting their speed.

Seojun showed panic while on the stone, observing the River Lurker thrashing against the vines. Suddenly, one of its tentacles whipped around with surprising speed, catching him off guard.

SMACK!

The tentacle slammed into Seojun's side, sending him stumbling back. He lost his footing on the slippery stone, arms flailing dramatically. "Ah—!" he shouted, sounding almost too surprised, as if he were acting. His body crashed against the water's surface, creating a huge splash.

"Mr. Han!" Fumiko shouted, eyes wide.

One of the members snorted. "Hah! And he's supposed to be an S-ranker? Got knocked out by one hit?"

Another member laughed. "Should've stayed on the shore, kid."

But Fumiko wasn't amused. "Shut up and help him!" she snapped, turning to Go Si-eun. "Can you sense his mana?!"

Si-eun nodded, her eyes glowing faintly as she closed her eyes, concentrating. "I can feel him... He's being pulled by the current! We need to get him out!"

Fumiko didn't waste a second, turning to the nearest guild member. "Get him out of there!" she shouted urgently.

"Tch, what a burden!" one of the guys muttered, pulling out a long chain weapon with sharp hooks on the ends. He spun it skillfully before launching it toward the water. The chain whistled through the air, splashing down near where Seojun had been swallowed.

The man yanked hard, trying to latch onto anything—Seojun, the monster, anything that could pull him back. But the Lurker was thrashing wildly beneath the surface, sending waves crashing against the rocks and making it nearly impossible to get a good grip.

"Hold it steady!" shouted another member, pulling out a spear and aiming it toward the creature's massive body that occasionally broke the surface. "If we can slow it down, maybe we can get him out!"

Fumiko's clones spread out, scanning the water's edge, while the rest of the guild fought to keep the Lurker in place. But the river was rough, and Seojun's white hair was nowhere to be seen.

"Ugh, this is why I hate bringing rookies along!" the guy with the chain weapon grumbled, pulling back and launching it again. "They just get in the way!"

Fumiko glared at him. "Focus on saving him, not complaining!"

The guild member scoffed but didn't argue, gripping his weapon tighter. The river roared on, and the Lurker's tail slapped the water with a massive crash, sending another wave splashing over them.

Meanwhile, Go Si-eun stepped forward, her staff glowing softly. "I'll boost your range. Blessing of Reach!" A warm light wrapped aroundthe guy hands, and his weapon suddenly extended farther, slicing through the water and wrapping around Seojun's arm.

The River Lurker screeched angrily, its tentacles lashing out in the water.

One of the guild members scoffed. "Should we even bother? If he's an S-ranker, he shouldn't need saving."

Fumiko shot him a deadly glare. "Shut it and help, or get out of my way!"

The man backed off, grumbling under his breath.

Go Si-eun raised her staff higher. "I'll boost his strength! Blessing of Fortitude!" Another wave of light shot from her staff, wrapping around Seojun, who was still flailing in the water.

Seojun, feeling the guy weapon around him, continued his dramatic struggling.

The river's current was fierce, churning wildly as the monster's long, scaled body slithered through the water, its many eyes glimmering with predatory hunger.

"Where's the kid?!" one of the guild members shouted, eyes scanning the river that he again dissapear.

"I—I don't know!" Si-eun replied, panic in her voice.

Fumiko clenched her jaw. She spread her hands, and in an instant, two perfect clones of herself appeared beside her. "Find him!" she commanded.

The clones dashed forward, leaping across stones and splashing through the water with surprising agility. They scanned the riverbank and the water's surface, searching for any sign of Seojun.

"Hey, stop standing around! Help her out!" one of the guild members shouted to the others, snapping them out of their daze. A few of them jumped in, weapons drawn, slashing at the writhing body of the river monster that was still lurking nearby. Its massive, finned back sliced through the surface, spraying water everywhere.

Fumiko narrowed her eyes as her clones spread out further. "Stop that lurker!" she shouted, pointing toward the monster. Her voice cut through the chaos, and a few of the melee fighters charged forward, swinging their weapons.

But the river beast wasn't going down easily. It snapped its jaws, sending one of the fighters tumbling backward with a yelp. The others hesitated, looking back at Fumiko.

"Hurry up! If we don't stop it, we'll lose him!" she yelled desperately.

"Wait, I see something!" shouted one of her clones from the edge of the river. Fumiko's eyes darted to where the clone was pointing. In the water, Seojun's white hair flashed briefly before he was pulled under again by the river's current.

"No...Mr.Han!" Fumiko's real body ran forward, splashing through the water without hesitation. "Si-eun, we need your healing—now!"

Si-eun staggered to her feet, gripping her staff tightly. "R-Right!" She began chanting, her hands glowing with faint light as she prepared to cast.

Fumiko's clones circled around the area where Seojun disappeared, but before they could dive in, the massive river monster surged forward, its maw opening wide— and swallowed Seojun whole.

Gasps and shouts erupted from the guild members. "No way!"

"That kid... He's gone?"

Si-eun's hands trembled as she tried to keep her healing magic ready. "W-What do we do now?"

"We find him," Fumiko replied firmly, her eyes sharp with determination. "And we kill that damn lurker."